


An Anchor In The Tempest

by ChiasmuSpadex



Category: Storm Hawks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-09
Updated: 2015-02-14
Packaged: 2018-02-24 16:23:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2588198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChiasmuSpadex/pseuds/ChiasmuSpadex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Storm Hawks search for the impossible - the only surviving crystal that is in the clutches of the Cyclonians. AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Encircling the wooden table were men of a particular scent to Radarr. The blue creature sniffed the surrounding air and withdrew once again at the sour pungency of body odour, speckled with the salt of the seas herself and the familiar whiff of rum. Arms bared, they gleamed with sweat, occasionally scarred with the cutlass of battle, lacerating around the tattooed biceps. Some were missing hands, where stumps or hooks were in place instead. A man slammed a glass down, threatening to blemish the fragile clarity with trickling cracks. Radarr did not care if it broke or not, as some of the liquid splashed on his nose and he licked it clean. Aerrow never let him near rum because "animals shouldn't drink it" but Radarr knew the Captain was envious of his drinking abilities. Guess who won the drinking competition amongst the crew last year?

Padding along, through the midst of a rogues' brawl and sneaking a quick glance up the waitresses' skirts, Radarr found his crew in the corner of the inn. Lit only with a lone candle dangling from a creaky metal holder, it was hard for a man to make out the faces. Radarr was no man, but a beast of heightened senses, easily recognising and quickly acknowledging Finn's raised mug as a greeting. Junko sat opposite the lean blond, also bearing quite the opposite physique. Dark and burly, he had two mugs in his large hands, and gulped down the rum faster than Radarr could ask for some. Hidden in the shadows was Stork, an enigma employed by the Captain to sail their ship. His pallid green complexion prowled underneath the shadow of his tricorne, and a limp black feather of the hat dangled in a bored manner. An ignorant fool would mistake Stork as the Captain just from the assumption of bearing a hat, but many feared to voice these opinions. Stork always had a murderous gleam in his yellow glare.

"The Captain?" Stork muttered.

Radarr pointed with a blue paw at the pair in the doorway. The mere, sharp presence of their silhouettes demanded the immediate hush of the inn, accented with the singular crash of a mug on the timber floor. They strolled through the frozen, silent crowd, ignoring the admiring stares and cruel glares. Finally, the pair found a spot on the table, and the roar and clanking of glasses rose again.

"Always making a statement, aren't cha Captain?" Finn smirked at Aerrow.

The auburn tufts that protruded from his head in an untamed manner rustled as the Captain nodded. His emerald eyes that were daggers, deadly enough to stab fear in the hearts of many, softened at Finn's jest. Piper, the navigator and First Mate, chuckled and her stern demeanour relaxed as she quickly swiped the mug from Finn's hands.

"Hey!" the blond shouted.

"And a hello to you too, Finn. Thanks for buying me a drink," Piper winked as she gulped the rum down.

"Enough of this flirting," Stork almost spat, "But I think we should discuss what we found. Captain?"

"Right. We all have heard of the Cyclonians, yes?" the Captain whispered as he leaned forward. The crew nodded in mutual agreement.

"The fiercest crew in all of Atmos," Junko replied, "They scare me."

"Well, they do have the most fearsome reputation too, beating us to that spot," Finn grumbled, "Why don't we have that reputation?"

Piper answered his question with a 'humph' and she continued from where the Captain stopped. "They've got the last crystal of Atmos. Technically, the whole Atmos knows that after the Crystal War, but no one is daring to retrieve it. However, the thing is, they aren't exactly in possession of said crystal."

Taking a gulp of more rum, she continued. "As the Captain and I uncovered, they possess the "key" to the location of the last crystal. There is enough evidence that this key is on the ship, however the exact location is unknown. Also, the exact shape of this key is unknown too."

"Psh, and how is that gonna help us?" Finn sighed, "So much for recon. Not even a freaking treasure map."

"Don't question the First Mate," the Captain hissed protectively, "We've enough to go on."

Radarr's paw silently etched its way towards Piper's mug, but Aerrow snatched it before he could taste the sweet alcoholic euphoria. Junko chuckled at his efforts, and snuck several drops into Radarr's mouth as the Captain drank from Piper's mug.

"We will need you, Junko, Radarr and Stork on standby," the Captain ordered, pointedly glancing at Finn, "Piper and I will board the Cyclonian ship as one does."

"I don't mean to question your methods, Captain," Stork's voice wavered, "But wouldn't you and the First Mate prefer to face the deadly force in a more _clandestine_ way? Going there head on will lead to one's immediate, untimely demise." Stork leaned forward, and his fingers steepled. "Then again, sneaking on will result in the same, but with a satisfying, lingering sense of doom as you slowly ease your way into hell."

"Thanks for your concern, but we were invited on board," Piper replied matter- of- factly. "We do have some sort of reputation, but not as fearsome as those of the Cyclonians. However, the reason as to why we received an invitation is unknown."

Stork chuckled darkly, "Oh, we have too many unknowns here."

"Which makes it all the more fun," the Captain replied, frowning despite his cheery tone. "Let's go."

* * *

Her pale façade lurked underneath the looming shadow of her dark violet tricorne, and her high collared cloak gave little away as to her full appearance. She sat upon a high crimson seat in the cabin of her ship, her spindly fingers stroking a valuable piece of her inventory.

"Captain Cyclonis," a deep voice said behind her. She hurriedly slid the item into a hidden box where it locked when its lid shut, put it beneath her desk, and turned to address her First Mate.

"Ah, the Dark Ace. The report?"

He handed over a file with a gloved hand that hid the scars of many battles. Cyclonis opened the folder and sheets spilled out, splaying like yellowing petals upon her ebony desk. Picking up a particular piece that looked as if it were folded too many times, and where age lingered at every crease, she furrowed her brow as she read, nodding at every detail.

"Why him?" the Dark Ace spoke again, faintly surprised at its curt delivery.

She snapped her head up and glared at him, fury dancing in her purple eyes. "Why you? Why did I choose you as First Mate?"

"Because I was capable," he replied immediately.

"And so is he," she retorted, pointing at the files, "He is  _too_  capable." She sighed as if it were an apology to the Dark Ace and her eyes softened. "We need to know our enemy as much as we know ourselves. It is the only way we can protect the crystal."

She turned her back to the Dark Ace and took out her spyglass. Peering through, she saw two figures walking in the direction of her ship. Cyclonis retracted it with a click and nodded to her First Mate, who left her alone in the cabin. Minutes later, he returned with Aerrow and Piper in front of him. His face had contorted to something of disgust and hatred, and Cyclonis had to swallow a laugh at his unhappiness.

"Captain Cyclonis," Aerrow greeted drily. His First Mate nodded and greeted the same way. Aerrow disliked how her face was concealed with her hat and high collar, so only her piercing eyes shone through. It was to him the same as withholding information; if they cannot trust you with their face, how could you trust them with their words?

It seemed as if she heard his mental desire, and with a flourish, Cyclonis threw off her cloak and gently removed her hat. Only the Dark Ace had seen her in her full glory, where Cyclonis' violet naval jacket outlined every luscious curve of her body, and her heeled boots accented her thin legs. Her leather pants clung tightly to her waist and hips, and the audience could not help but stare.

She swayed closer to Aerrow, whose brow furrowed at her proximity. "Well, Captain Aerrow, what is it you like me to do?" she asked huskily.

Piper squeezed Aerrow's arm as she quickly excused herself, to which Cyclonis nodded to. There was only one person she wanted to charm, and the Dark Ace was almost immune to Cyclonis' attraction.

"It's hard," Aerrow finally answered, "The request, I mean." The Dark Ace laughed quietly behind him.

"Come. Spill out your request. I am not here for you to waste my time," Cyclonis snapped as she withdrew from Aerrow's gaze, "I have more important things to do. Dark Ace."

Her First Mate drew out his scimitar and tickled Aerrow's neck with its long, sharp and curved blade. The metal gleamed and refleced the Dark Ace's smirk. The red head etched his fingers down to his dirks, but the cold metal seemed to sink deeper into his flesh, allowing the smallest trickle of crimson.

"Now, don't cut his throat before he speaks his true intentions," she said darkly, "But if you don't speak quick enough Aerrow, off goes your head."

"Yes, Captain Cyclonis," he hesitantly addressed her, "I come in the request of the last crystal of Atmos. I understand you do not physically have the crystal here, but the key or a map to its specific location is what I need."

"There is a reason that Atmos has one crystal left," Cyclonis rasped with fury, "And it is because of you pesky fools, destroying every last one in that War. None of you Storm Hawks or the Resistance are even worthy of being in the presence of a crystal. And I should know. I was the queen of the merchants, and my crystal business has now been reduced to pillaging your pitiful villages and ships."

The Resistance was spearheaded by the Storm Hawks themselves, where many other crews were invested in their goals of using crystal power for good and not otherwise. The reign of Cyclonian crystal technology and resources grew year by year, taking over the market and reducing many prosperous merchants into sea beggars and thieves. Numbers of the Resistance rapidly diminished as members succumbed to the sheer raw essence and suffocating power of crystals. Master Cyclonis, as named in her full glory, was the Merchant Queen before the Resistance won the War.

Aerrow wanted to apologise on behalf of the whole Atmos for this mess, but her selfishness in hiding the crystal and her criminal intentions were unforgivable. Despite being renowned for crystal merchandising, Cyclonians were known for their desire to subjugate and control the Atmos with the addictive control of crystals. Now there was only one, and whole of Atmos depended on it.

"Without this crystal, Atmos will be destroyed. The sea monsters are awakening," Aerrow stated firmly, cringing at the sting of his neck wound.

"Sea monsters? They are a-"

A fire alarm exploded with piercing shriek, drowning out Cyclonis' sentence. She glanced over behind her desk, eyes wide with panic. Aerrow took the opportunity to spin around and kick the distracted Dark Ace, grabbing his weapon from his loose grip and quickly pressing the blade against Cyclonis' neck. He pulled her arms behind her and clicked them in a pair of handcuffs, whilst holding the scimitar that threatened to slice her throat.

Piper sauntered casually back into the room, holding a lighter in one hand and a burnt scrap of papyrus in the other. The Dark Ace recovered from his fall, launching to attack the Storm Hawk's First Mate, but she stuck out her lit lighter, forcing him to recoil. She punched him the jaw and kicked him in the groin in that split second. He fell back into the corner, howling in pain.

"So where is it, Captain Aerrow?" Piper gleefully asked.

"Behind and beneath the desk," he answered as Cyclonis gasped. She struggled in his grip, but the blade dug a bit deeper into her skin. "Now, don't move Cyclonis," Aerrow whispered in her ear, his warm breath tickling her ear, "Don't encourage me to hurt you."

"It seems you like this, Aerrow. Do you always have handcuffs at the ready?" Cyclonis whispered back a little too hungrily.

He ignored her as Piper placed an ebony box upon the desk. "It's locked," she simply said. "Needs some code to open it."

"How did you know it was there?" Cyclonis gasped as the blade dug deeper.

"Amazing how fire exposes our priorities," Piper smirked as she worked on the lock. "No, can't figure out the code."

"Let me go, and I will enter it for you. I promise no ill intent," Cyclonis solemnly assured.

Hesitantly, Aerrow undid the handcuffs and removed the blade from her neck, allowing the Cyclonian captain to walk over to the box. Gently pushing Piper aside, she bent down and spun the dials in place to spell out the code. Cyclonis turned it around to face Aerrow and dug her fingernails underneath the edge, easing it to open.

"Wait," Aerrow ordered her.

He gestured to Piper to come closer, whispered some words in her ear, and she disappeared out of the room. The second she left, men burst through the windows, where glass fragments exploded like crystal fireworks around Cyclonis and Aerrow. The Dark Ace tried to recover from Piper's previous attacks, but a man accidentally landed on top of him.

"Give up the booty, Cyclonis!" a blond man ordered in his accented voice. "I promise no harm."

"Who are you?" Aerrow and Cyclonis shouted in unison, prompting both the captains to glance at each other in confusion.

"I am Harrier of the Rex Guardians, the new leader of the Resistance. The Storm Hawks are useless in achieving their prime objective of protecting the Atmos, so I was elected for the position," he proudly announced as he unsheathed his sabre. It gleamed with a golden blink, newly forged and lacking any damage from battle.

Aerrow gritted his teeth and growled in annoyance, and Cyclonis noted his anger. "You have no right to take that title from the Storm Hawks!" he spat as he brandished Dark Ace's scimitar.

"Oh and who are you to judge?" Harrier condescendingly snorted as he spun the sabre in his hand.

"I am Aerrow, Captain of the Storm Hawks, leader of the Resistance!" he shouted back. "Cyclonis, now!"

She quickly turned the box, her finger immediately lifting the lid, and fired a poison- laced blade into Harrier's chest. Cyclonis grabbed the handcuffs and swung them into another man's face, cracking his skull like an egg, and he fell back roaring in pain. Meanwhile Aerrow swung his weapon at the neck of a burly man who clutched his wound with both hands. The Storm Hawk easily stabbed him in the heart. He then spun and kicked a lanky lad, who awkwardly fumbled with his dagger, and he fell out of the cabin, landing with a satisfying splash in the sea below. Aerrow turned around again, and watched in horror as Cyclonis pointed a blunderbuss at his head. She fired and he cringed, but the bullet tickled the tops of his red locks and flew into the throat of the tall man behind him. He let out a gurgled yell before the blood flooded his entire mouth.

"We make quite the team," Aerrow puffed as he walked closer to Cyclonis, who smiled as he approached. He placed down the scimitar and went to grab the box. She shut the lid again, allowing it to automatically lock, and pushed it towards Aerrow.

"Yes we do."

She leaned forward and hit Aerrow's head with the side of her blunderbuss before his gloved hands touched the ebony structure. His body shrunk in pain and collapsed on top of one of the dead intruders.

"Yes, we most certainly do."

* * *

Piper had radioed her crew to sail where the Cyclonian ship was, urging to come quickly and armed. In the distance she spied the familiar cerulean- tinged sails gliding closer to shore where the enemy was anchored.

They came too late.

A man in a crimson uniform held a body that dangled limply in his arms, and threw it overboard into the shallow water without a second glance. With the efficiency of a well- oiled machine, the Cyclonian crew worked the rigging and the sails were immediately taut with the wind. The last shimmer of the ship faded into the horizon before Piper could recognise Aerrow's bloody body wash up onto the shore. Finally, the Storm Hawks drew close enough for anchorage and Junko carried the Captain to his quarters, where Piper tended his wounds and Radarr gave him company.

Outside, after Aerrow's retrieval, the Merb stood on the deck, steering the ship with one hand and tilting his tricorne lower with the other.

"I did warn him," Stork whispered to himself as he sailed the Condor towards the setting sun.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Atop the thin, frayed duvets that draped loosely over the Captain, Radarr was curled in a quiet, furry bundle, snoring and dreaming about banana flavoured rum. His body rose and fell rhythmically with Aerrow's breathing as they peacefully slept in the Captain's quarters. The lone ticking of a stolen fob watch and the hush of the sea's waves were the pair's sweet lullaby. Piper sat in a wooden chair opposite the bed, which made slight creaking noises if she were to adjust her position. She held the logbook in her gloved hand and a quill in the other. If he moved a leg, she would record it. If his breathing was irregular for the briefest of seconds, she would jot it down. Aerrow had lain in his bed for a week now, and the log was bursting with foot twitches, eyelid flickers and other mere signs of movement. Despite this, he had not awakened from his slumber.

Day after day, fears arose throughout the crew. Stork believed the Captain to be dead, and even with Piper's presented evidence of life, the helmsman thought Aerrow to be a zombie. It was a fine jest, a one the Merb did not intend to have a humorous effect, but the crew's laughter was still obviously undermined by the shadow of concern. Finn thought the Captain was faking it, and that if he woke, it would activate an alarm for Cyclonis to come back and attack, and so sleep was for the protection of the crew. Piper out ruled this as impossible, where crystal power was necessary for those abilities, and the Cyclonian captain was definitely not in possession. Junko was clueless to Aerrow's condition and Radarr took the opportunity to consume as much rum as possible, but growled angrily if anyone took his thirst for apathy.

It was on the thirtieth day and Piper's fourth log book when a bird arrived, bearing news. As the Storm Hawks huddled in the Captain quarters away from Aerrow's bed, Piper unrolled the parchment and three big words tumbled out in block letters. She gasped, Finn and Junko grinned, Stork grumbled something unintelligible and Radarr gave a cheerful chirrup.

"Cyclonis is dead," Piper articulated loudly in a stern voice.

"Isn't that great?" Finn commented happily and Junko nodded.

"Well, yes and no," Piper replied. "Yes, where she is no longer a threat to the whole of Atmos as to being the most ruthless, fearsome pirate captain. Since we have a reputation of similar ferocity, I guess you got your wish Finn. We now have it. Fiercest crew on Atmos."

"But," the First Mate continued, "This means we would never hold the final crystal and the Resistance are incapable of protecting the Atmos from the inevitable sea monsters without it."

"Those sea monsters are just a myth," Junko said, crossing his thick arms.

"You can deny all the reports then," Stork dismissively waved his hand. "All those deaths were nothing."

"There were deaths?"

"Yes, the Leviathan is apparently hungry."

"Guys, stop," Finn butted in, "Why do we even need the crystal? We can just fight them off with our cannons. A good aim should do it."

Piper sighed. "It's a matter of biological conservation and population protection. We need to protect the rare species even though they can kill us, and even if we fight them, lives will still be in danger. The War destroyed the crystal that kept the creatures in hibernation, and so now these marine monsters are fighting to wake up."

"We're doomed, in other words," Stork summarised in a breath and he walked off to steer the ship.

The following day, the Storm Hawks anchored on the harbour of Neverlandis to restock on supplies. Before they could even step off the  _Condor_ , a messenger boy ran towards Piper with an ebony box in hand. She quickly dismissed Junko and Finn to replenish their inventory whilst she hurried back into the Captain's quarters.

She sat at the bed's foot, caressing Cyclonis' secret treasure chest. It was the darkest of ebony, shades deeper than the  _Condor_ 's hull. The corners were pointedly accented with golden clasps, dotted with tiny amethysts that bound them to the wood. It fit comfortably on Piper's lap and its weight was no more than three books. She lifted it up to peek at the bottom finding the same smooth wooden façade that covered the entire box. Setting it back down, Piper fiddled with the six golden dials where, on individual ridges, letters were engraved with a deep purple tinge.

"How do you open?" Piper whispered to the chest.

"Only she can open it. She's the one who knows the code," Aerrow replied, "I didn't manage to see what she entered from our last visit. She's dead, isn't she? Good use that box is."

"Aerrow! You're awake!" the First Mate cried, "That's great news."

"Lightened up you day, huh?" he smiled simply. "But that box's a downer."

Aerrow sat up on his pillow, and propped himself up weakly with his arms. He blinked several times to adjust to the light and yawn mildly, despite his monthly sleep.

"How did you know she was dead? You weren't listening when we received the news right?" Piper asked.

"She must be dead. Cyclonis gave us the most valuable thing in her possession for safekeeping. I'm sure even the Dark Ace didn't know of this box, because if he did, she would have given it to him. We were the next in line because we knew of its existence," Aerrow stated and coughed slightly. "And I'm sure it's also a nice way of Cyclonis to mock us from beyond the grave."

"Make sense," Piper agreed. "Would you like something to eat, Captain? You've been sleeping forever."

Aerrow gave a small chuckle and ruffled his hair. "Yeah. And don't forget the rum."

* * *

As the moonless night fell, the hooded man walked onto the harbour, where the light sea breeze weaved stealthily between his fringe. He glanced out towards the water, barely making out the small waves that brushed daintily against the anchored ships. A drunken pirate with a lopsided tricorne staggered towards him, muttering a faintly familiar sea shanty, smelling of rotting fish and swinging his wineskin. He sidestepped the drunk and quietly pulled out a rope, lassoing it onto an ebony ship. Silently he climbed and nimbly landed on deck.

With the layout still fresh in his mind, he found the room and picked the lock. He allowed the thinnest gap for him to slip through and closed the door behind him. Grabbing a jacket that hung on a nearby peg, he threw it at the sleeping body. As expected, she sprung up, but he was quicker. He pushed her down upon the bed, sealing her mouth with his hand. Beneath, her mouth opened for a scream, but he clamped tighter with his gloved fingers. She bit at it, her teeth useless against the leather.

"If you keep quiet and be a good girl Piper, you will give me no reason to payback for those injuries last month," the Dark Ace threatened as he removed his hood.

She hesitantly nodded and he removed his hand. Piper could only glare at those crimson eyes as they watched her put on the jacket and boots. She grabbed her orange bandana and adjusted it into her dark navy hair.

"Where are you taking me?" Piper hissed as she snuck a blunderbuss into her coat when the Dark Ace turned towards the door.

"Don't think about firing that gun," he whispered.

The First Mate sighed, but kept the gun on hand.

"Follow me."

Climbing down the rope and plunging into the dark night, the Dark Ace led Piper through the labyrinthine alleyways that threaded between Neverlandis' buildings. There were unpaved lanes, and she could feel the uneven tufts of grass bumping along the otherwise dirt path. The stars were futile in casting any form of light, so her eyes adjusted to the shadows. Piper felt surprisingly comfortable as she snuck around with the Dark Ace, following him to an unknown location.

"Here."

She walked into the desolate yard, surrounded by the carcass of a rotting building. The scaffolding was twisted and creaked eerily to the soft whispers of the wind. The yard itself was pebbly and Piper could feel the scattered stones beneath her boots. It was too dark to see how vast the building used to be, but the sheer enormity of the steel planes that once formed the walls gave her an idea.

A flick and a hiss lit the lantern that the Dark Ace produced from the shadows. He handed it over to the person that Piper just realised was present, standing without her usual hat, but still shrouded by her purple velvet jacket.

"Piper," Cyclonis spoke, "I didn't rustle your slumber too much I hope?"

"Cyclon-"

"It's Captain Cyclonis," the Dark Ace cut in.

The Storm Hawk glared at the Cyclonian First Mate, but continued. "Captain Cyclonis, I thought you were dead."

Cyclonis laughed and Piper furrowed her brow, confused at where the jest was. The Dark Ace just stood beside his Captain, not even cracking the slightest of smiles.

"Oh Piper, did you really think I'll grant you such a treat?" Cyclonis said, "But don't go telling everyone that I am still alive. It's only between us three."

"Why? Why do you proclaim you are alive to me? And you should have stayed dead." Piper spat.

"Harsh words," Cyclonis tutted, "But you deserve respect. I know you are the brains to the Storm Hawks, and you proved your worth when you outsmarted me last month. Tell me though, what is your worth to Aerrow?"

"My worth? We are friends. And I'm his First Mate," she said simply, "No more."

"The Dark Ace is my  _First Mate_  too." Cyclonis smirked as the Dark Ace shuffled awkwardly. "But I have explored more of his  _finer_ qualities."

"But you came back," Piper said, quickly changing the subject, noting her own and the Dark Ace's discomfort. "Explain."

"After my  _sweet_  invitation for you to join me on my ship, the days following, I was pursued by members of the Resistance. Bothersome idiots. They were persistent for the key, I'll give them that, but my resources were exhausted after running and fighting. The death of me meant the death of the key," Cyclonis replied matter- of factly.

"Alright," Piper muttered, trying not to take offence, "But Aerrow needs you-"

"Of course he needs me. He expressed his desires when we spoke last time," Cyclonis drawled as she swayed her hips slightly. "He was very keen."

"But the box-"

"What box?" Cyclonis shot back. From the flickering flames of the lantern, the Dark Ace scowled in confusion.

" _So the Captain was right,"_  Piper thought,  _"The Dark Ace doesn't know about it."_

"You should have asked for Aerrow's presence instead of mine. He was talking about you fervidly, after he recovered from his coma. Would not speak of anything else as he ate," Piper tried changing the subject again.

"I just- I can't. I couldn't," Cyclonis stuttered, trying to hide her shock and concern about Aerrow's previous condition.  _"I didn't hit him that hard."_  Cyclonis thought to herself.

The ominous creak of the scaffolding was expected from the rotting structure. However, it was as if a cannon was fired; the abrupt sound of a pebble hitting a steel plane and the hush of a curse forced the trio to swivel towards the disturbance. It was difficult to make out with the trembling light, but the swift flurry of its hair and the familiar silhouette drew similarities to those of a particular person.

"Aerrow," Cyclonis and Piper whispered in unison, but only the latter made the move to follow him, rushing behind the faint shimmer of his shadow. She followed him back to the harbour where they both stared at each other in the dark.

"She's alive," Piper whispered, with a hoarse laugh, "Cyclonis is alive."

"I know," Aerrow simply replied. It was obvious he wanted to say more, as Piper looked into his glowing emerald eyes that swirled with anger, concern, relief and- was that joy?

Together, they slowed to a walk down the harbour in silence, with the moments and memory of the previous seconds still lingering in the quiet. Unasked questions hung like rain clouds as the pair boarded the ship, but immediately evaporated at the relieving comfort of being on the  _Condor_. The homely creak of the ship as it rocked gently from the waves and the calming whispers of the sea set a certain ease in Piper's and Aerrow's hearts.

"Gotcha."

Aerrow felt the firm metal of a blunderbuss pushing in his back. The click that cracked the silent night reassured that the wielder had their finger on the trigger. The Captain raised his arms to show he was unarmed, but the stubborn barrel stayed. He looked over to Piper who stood in a similar fashion, and noticed the burly man behind her.

"Move," the voice behind Aerrow ordered, and his pushed his weapon deeper into the Captain's back.

The footsteps of four thumped down the deck and towards the Captain's quarters, where the doors were already open. Inside sat Stork bound and gagged with rope, but if the Merb was scared, his placid and bored eyes betrayed nothing. An Atmosian male and a Blizzarian female stood guard beside their victim, armed heavily with blunderbusses and cutlasses. Their faces were firm and emotionless, but the female cracked a smile as Aerrow and Piper were pushed into the room.

"Aw, you boys are real charmers, eh? I should be promoting you two," she cheerfully spoke to her two thugs. "We caught ourselves some Captain and First Mate."

"Suzy Lu, what is this all about?" Piper asked, still uneasy with the barrel in her back.

"Sorry girl, but they are just precautions. Boys, lower them guns. We better be friendly, or Captain here will kick us off," the Blizzarian replied as she stood akimbo.

"If you want to be friendly, tell them to leave this room," Aerrow ordered as he shrugged off the fading pressure from his back. "Piper, you too." He nodded at her and mouthed something that Suzy Lu mistook as a yawn.

"Fine, fine," she said casually, "Boys, out."

Aerrow and Suzy Lu were left in the closed room, with Stork still tied up in the chair. The Captain turned, walked over to a peg and began to remove his jacket, but a familiar click froze him midway.

"Now then, Captain. Turn around and show me you are unarmed, eh?" Suzy Lu ordered with her gun aimed at Aerrow.

He could do nothing but acquiesce as he walked over with his arms up. Stork just watched blandly from his restricted position.

"Now tell me Captain. Where is the key?"

"I don't have it," Aerrow replied as sternly as he could, "Who do you think you are, Suzy Lu? Holding a gun at your leader?"

She spat to the side, disgusted at his words, whilst still holding the gun. "Leader? I'm leader of the Resistance now, after Harrier was found dead and washed up on a shore. You Storm Hawks left your duty ages ago. You once defended the seas from pirates, then you created the Resistance against crystals and now after the war you scheme with the Merchant Queen herself? Who do you think you are, Captain?"

Aerrow gave her a sneering look. "And who told you of this exchange between Cyclonis and I?"

"A man's dying breath. One of whom that followed Harrier into that Cyclonian ship a month ago," she retorted.

Aerrow turned to face Stork who sat in a bundle of boredom. The Captain blinked and the Merb replied with corresponding blinks before he sneezed. It was as loud as a gunshot, forcing Suzy Lu to quickly turn and aim at the tied- up victim. As quickly as she removed her gaze, Aerrow ran up and hit her across the face with the handcuffs he found in his jacket. She stumbled back in pain, dropping the gun to clutch her burning cheek. Stork got up despite being tied to the chair, wobbled over and smacked Suzy Lu with the full weight behind him. The wood splintered at the impact, freeing Stork, but binding the screaming Blizzarian in a heap of shattered chair. The Merb wiggled away the rope, dusted his shoulder and sighed as he walked towards his Captain.

"Do you always carry that around, Captain?" the helmsman said, pointedly looking at the handcuffs in Aerrow's hand. "I should carry some when I guard the ship."

"It has its uses," Aerrow shrugged. "Help me pull her out of that mess and I'll show you another trick with them."

* * *

The thugs that Suzy Lu employed surrounded Piper, their guns and blades at the ready. It was too dark on the deck to attack, with the risk of hurting each other instead of the First Mate. They had no choice but to stand guard and threaten her with the weapons. Piper raised her arm, seemingly wiping her mouth with her wrist. She kept her orange glare on the men, scowling and taunting them with her silence.

The air shimmered behind one of the men and he collapsed in a writhing heap. Another projectile struck him in the left ribs as the others walked over to inspect. He tried to yell in pain, but the sound remained trapped in his corpse.

"What was-" one choked, scratching at the bolt lodged in his throat. He gurgled as the blood flooded his mouth.

The last man stood with legs wide apart, warily holding his sword in his hand as he peered desperately in the night. He swung emptily at the air, but the dark blindfolded him from the attacker. As he was distracted, Piper drew out her hidden blunderbuss and fired in his stomach, the three cracks puncturing the silent night. Another shimmer flew by and stuck itself in the thug's chest. He fell back into a pool of crimson.

Finn swung down from the fighting top with his crossbow in hand and a rope in the other, almost knocking Piper from where she stood. She sidestepped smirking, and he crashed onto the quarterdeck. The sharpshooter immediately popped back up, brushed his shoulders and walked towards the dead men.

"You should work on your landing," Piper said, smiling as Finn groaned.

"Well, you should work on your aim," Finn retorted cringing from his fall. "To kill a man, you fire at the heart not the stomach."

"I'm just letting you do your job," she shrugged in reply. She watched Finn pull out the bolts, wiping any residue on the thug's clothes. "By the way, you shot that guy in the throat."

Finn waved her words off with his hand full of bolts. "I was just giving you a chance to practise your aim. You decided to fire at this guy instead." He kicked the man with three bullet holes in his stomach.

_Crash!_

The sound from the Captain's quarters drew the worrying glances of Finn and Piper towards the closed door. The pair rushed over, only to be stopped as the door creaked open, spilling a thick ray of light onto the deck. They drew their weapons, but as Stork's head peeked out, they relaxed.

"Captain's orders for you guys to guard the ship. We'll be fine in here," the Merb reassured calmly, "Unless she breaks loose, of course."

"She? Who is this we are talking about?" Finn raised his eyebrows.

"Suzy Lu. We've got a rogue on board," the helmsman rubbed his hands in glee. "Oh, we are back in business."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The Captain's quarters were in shades of light blue, as if the sea itself was trapped in the walls. Sunlight was a welcome guest and would spray its incandescence carelessly over the shelves, table and furniture that laid orderly in the room. But it was night in that moment and the darkness was full of terrors, so Stork insisted to light more lanterns, despite Suzy Lu's previous substantial effort. Aerrow had the intruder bundled up in rope and hands held behind her back in handcuffs while she sat on the wooden ground. The splinters of the broken chair were still visible and speckled in her hair, whilst her cheek was purple and throbbed from the Captain's attack. She gritted her teeth and struggled in her binds as any prisoner would, but the Merb reminded her that she must be grateful for the lack of a gag. Aerrow noted her gratefulness as she spat and cursed, whilst Stork was merely amused at her empty threats.

The Captain drew out two chairs for himself and his helmsman, and promptly sat in front of Suzy Lu. Her eyebrows furrowed at her efforts to free herself, resulting with her seated position distorting in something of a toppled mess of anger, rope and Blizzarian. Stork silently got up from his chair and righted her position so Suzy Lu sat again, with her bottom set on the floor. She nearly bit his careful fingers, but he was wary of her sharp teeth.

"What has become of our Resistance? Have we turned into rabid beasts?" Stork questioned to no one in particular as he found his seat again. "Do not tell me that the Corrupted Mindworms have finally found a secure home in your brain, Suzy Lu. If they do inhabit your cranium, death would be a merciful option."

"I am not insane," she spat back, "Isn't this what people do when they are tied up and threatened? I guess the same doesn't go for you, eh Merb?"

Stork coughed as if he was offended, but Aerrow knew otherwise. "I am a Merbian. I know how to deal with situations like that."

She screamed again and twisted in her restricted position. The rope chaffed at her flesh but the pain she felt was nothing to the throbbing cheek. She fell over again, but this time she easily righted herself. Her green eyes gave a deathly glare to the seated pair.

"You were told to defend your land of Blizzarus from the sea monsters, but instead you are mutinous towards the Resistance. Explain," Aerrow sternly ordered in a tone that froze all her frenzied struggling.

"I- it wasn't me who started it," Suzy Lu replied guiltily, "I was given orders."

"The only other member who can give orders is Starling. Otherwise it is just me," the Captain stated. "But tell me who did this."

"It was Carver of the Red Eagles," she admitted, "He ordered this. That boy is surely jealous of you, Captain. Mention your name and he'd go bananas."

"Crewslayer." Aerrow pointed out. "Killed his own team for reputation. Protecting Atmosia wasn't enough for Carver. He thought joining the Resistance could atone for his sins. But why did you obey him?"

"He told us that we would end up dead like his crew if we didn't listen. The girl Starling stood up against him though. She won the battle, but we just feared Carver, so she left 'cause she had no support. Eh, he even had a good argument," Suzy Lu managed a shrug.

"And this argument was?" the Captain questioned.

"That the Storm Hawks just sent us crews to guard our land from them monsters while you went to get the key yourselves. He saw your motive as something of self-glory and enhancement for your reputation. Jealousy, eh?" she replied.

"We formed a group within the Resistance to search for the key," Stork mentioned, "But when we discovered the Cyclonians had the knowledge, most withdrew, including Carver. Enlightenment then demise. That's what they saw in the mission. They were not willing to sacrifice."

"Yeah, but he thought that was a deterrent for us to stop, and for you guys to claim glory," Suzy Lu said, "Crazy guy, but we'd be crazy if we didn't follow."

Aerrow sighed. "The War did a number on Carver. I don't blame him for his loss, but he should stop blaming others for not protecting his family. Post- traumatic stress got the better of him."

Suzy Lu agreed. "Crystals were the enemies. They do weird things to your mind, eh?"

"Despite all this, we have the job as defenders of the seas. You are under arrest for crimes against legal authority, including attempted murder of the Leader of the Resistance," the Captain said as he stood up, akimbo. "When the morning comes, I'll have you incarcerated."

The Blizzarian's head drooped low in shame. "What did I do to deserve this?" she muttered.

As the morning sun peeked behind the watery horizon, guards pulled the Blizzarian to the Neverlandis prisons. They questioned Finn and Piper about the bodies that remained from the night attack, and they stated the thugs were collateral damage of Suzy Lu's offences. Radarr listened to this exchange, oblivious of last night's events. Lightening the load with the removal of the rogue, the  _Condor_  set sail towards Atmosia, with an unexhausted helmsman at the wheel. On their course, Junko, who was finally enlightened by the midnight tale, threw the three corpses into the ocean and watched the sea swallow the pale and bloody bodies, digesting them in her cold, unforgiving depths.

* * *

The box sat as any chest would atop a wooden table, solidly upright in a strict fashion, yet it willingly mocked keyless strangers with its lock. Orange and green glared at the lettered ridges of the dial as they tried to decipher the code with their eyes. Whilst sitting, Aerrow picked up the object and shook it, and a shuffling murmur replied. Placing it back down, Piper pulled out a magnifying glass, but it was useless in discovering any more than what was already given. A black wooden box, with golden corners secured by small amethysts and dials slightly protruding from the front, left the Captain and the First Mate quiet for a several minutes.

"Does Suzy Lu-"

"No, I told her we didn't have it and she believed me," Aerrow said firmly. He slammed his palms against the table, tucked his head towards his chest and closed his eyes. "What is the code?"

"If it isn't a word that is in the dictionary, and rather a random combination of letters, the chances of us getting the correct code is one in twenty six to the power of six," Piper said as she walked over to open the cabin's door. The cold sea breeze refreshed her concentrating face and she felt her facial muscles relax.

"And that is?"

"It's more than a million, Captain," Piper sighed as she leaned against the door frame, her thin figure shrouded by the cosy sunlight.

Another slam of the palms on the table brought Aerrow's head back up, and he cursed. "If only I can physically crack this box. But knowing Cyclonis and how precautious she is, I'm not going to risk it," he finally said after a string of expletives. "Clever Merchant Queen. Always playing games with her customers and now this."

"Clever? Games?" Piper perked up and walked back towards the box. "I have an idea. She thinks she's clever, so it could be the address Cyclonis sent this box to."

The First Mate pushed the dials to spell out  _Condor_  and dug her fingernails underneath the edge of the lid. She pulled up, but it would not budge. Groaning in unison with Aerrow, Piper stomped back to the door frame and leaned on it with arms crossed. As she settled into watching the sky, Junko brushed passed her with arms full of papers, letters and reports. The loud thump of the pile on the wooden table nearly made Piper lose her balance and Aerrow fall out of his seat. The Wallop flipped through the papers and pulled out a newspaper, handing it over to the Captain.

"The Drowning of the Resistance – Storm Hawks Letting Civilians Die," Junko recited as Aerrow grudgingly took the paper in his hands. "The sea monsters are approaching faster now. Also, from one of the letters from the Council, it mentioned that something called the Kraken has already scared a sea- side town, and that the civilians have either escaped or are in the monster's stomach."

The Captain cringed, "And they blame us for this."

"They think we destroyed the crystal that prevented the monsters in the war," Junko replied.

"Huh, that was some idiot who wanted more crystals for his ammunition," Aerrow growled, "But we need to fix this problem  _now_. We can't just let innocent civilians die. It is our duty to protect the Atmos."

The boatswain agreed. "But what is in that box?" Junko curiously whispered as he leaned closer to the wooden structure on the desk.

"The Key," Piper said from the doorway, who surprisingly heard him from the distance, "I know we should have told the crew earlier, but we hadn't the time."

"You mean  _The Key_?" his eyes widened as he continued whispering, "Do we have a key to the key?"

"No," Aerrow firmly said.

"Try 'Talons'. You know, the Cyclonian crew," the Wallop suggested.

"Doesn't work," he replied as he clicked the letters in place and the lid refused to budge.

"Dark Ace?"

"That's seven letters."

"Crystal, then."

"Also seven."

"Ok, um. Aurora? As in the crystal that once protected the Atmos from the monsters?"

Aerrow slid the letters in place, but the box refused to open. He replied to the Wallop with a stiff shake of his head.

"I give up," Junko moaned, "How are we going to save the Atmos when we don't even have the key to the Key?"

"I don't know."

Aerrow stood up and his chair creaked, its legs screeching and protesting in effort as it scraped against the wooden floorboards. He strode out of the cabin trying to hide the internal burning annoyance, controlling the feeling with clenched fists swaying by his side. The figure of the helmsman drew closer as Aerrow swallowed up the distance with heavy steps, but the Merb was oblivious to his approaching Captain. Stork's eyes were kept on the bowsprit dipping now and then, with the whiff of a spray each turn, and he listened to the swish of the sea against the bows and around the sides of the  _Condor_.

"Stork," Aerrow tapped the helmsman on the shoulder, and he felt him jump in his skin.

"Aye, Captain," Stork mumbled.

"We'll stop at the Wayside, the closest harbour," the Captain ordered.

"Why? I thought we were picking up more supplies from Atmosia," the Merb questioned, his eyes never leaving the bowsprit.

"That can wait," Aerrow declared whilst he crossed his arms and his eyes glided towards the horizon, "We need some rum right now."

* * *

The six silhouettes shrouded a corner table of the Wayside bar, where Aerrow's anger and frustration clouded over his crew. There was sufficient lighting to allow one to recognise a face or two, but no one dared to approach the dull aura that shielded them from any public contact. Junko had tried to keep them cheery by buying the whole crew some drinks, and Finn shared some funny anecdotes, but aside from Stork, Aerrow sat still and silent, excepting the frequent sip from his mug. Radarr chirruped emphatically to his Captain, who waved the creature away and muttered, "This is your chance to drink as much rum as you like, don't waste it."

The First Mate cleared her throat, and with a quick side- glance to her Captain, she began speaking in a hushed tone.

"We have the key, but we don't have the key to the key which would be the key to the key to unlocking the key," Piper said.

"I didn't get that," Finn replied, pointing at her.

"I have to speak in a riddled manner, because I can't risk eavesdropping," she whispered back.

Junko whispered in Finn's ear, repeating and stating that they have the Key from Cyclonis, yet they do not have the code to unlock the container holding it. The gunman sighed in comprehension and nodded at Piper to continue.

"We need it so we can save the Atmos. There have been more deaths, more scares, more losses than before, and the Council is hounding on us for not doing our  _duties_ ," she said, sipping her rum.

"We aren't even official," Finn complained.

"But we can't just sit back and watch every die, with everyone blaming us," Aerrow finally spoke through gritted teeth. "We did an honourable thing for the whole of Atmos, saving all of them from a crystal apocalypse. And now they despise us for indirectly killing people because we  _aren't doing our duty_. Why?"

With a final sip and the clank of the mug against the laminate table, Aerrow abruptly stood up and marched through the bar's doors, towards the asylum of the  _Condor_. The crew could not see him like this, bottled up with all these twisted emotions. Anger, passion, hate, love, worry, confusion; they swirled within his heart like a hurricane, sucking all the happiness from the shining day into a black abyss. His footsteps pounded on the wooden planks as he boarded the ship, and he found himself standing on the poop deck, behind the wheel. Aerrow squinted from the bright sun and reminded himself to get a tricorne as he listened to the call of a skygull that perched on the crow's nest. The surf boomed against the coast where no ship was anchored and where the harbour ended, but the Captain stared in this direction, hoping. Mermaids did not exist, but only in the inky letters of books and stories, yet Aerrow wished that such a creature would wash upon shore and grant him one sweet request.

The clamour of feet against the decks below guided his emerald glance down at his crew. The Captain climbed down and greeted them with his slightly softened demeanour. They nodded in his presence and scrambled to the masts to work the rigging, and where Stork walked up to the wheel.

"We sail to Atmosia without any more disruptions. Finn, to the mizzenmasts, Junko to the anchor. I need to speak with the First Mate," Aerrow ordered as he disappeared into the Captain's cabin.

Following, she disappeared into the cabin to find a sitting and distraught Aerrow.

"Piper, do you have any ideas how we can solve this?" the Captain waved a hand over the box. "Stop the sea monsters, save the Atmos, fix the corruption within the Resistance... I came to age only two years ago, but I feel as if I am a hundred. There are too many problems, and I can't- I really can't handle all of it at once."

"Captain," she replied with care, "You led the force that brought peace to the Atmos. You can do it again."

"That was when there was only one side we were up against. Now, they are attacking from every angle, even behind our backs. I can't keep up."

Piper sighed. "Well, I do have an idea…"

His green eyes flashed like the gleam of a dagger, sharpened to sever at the merest touch. "Tell me."

She walked over and whispered it like the mysterious songs of the wind into his ear.

"But of course, it would be dangerous. It would require-"

"It's perfect," the Captain smiled, cutting his First Mate off. "Stork has deft fingers. He'll do it while I'll sail the ship myself."

With that, Aerrow promptly left the cabin, feeling the light skip in every step, yet with the smallest tinge of regret as he did not have a tricorne against the gleaming, golden sunlight.

* * *

Atmosia stood against each wave that brushed upon its circumnavigating shores, those seas sighing in its spellbinding voice, enchanting the air with salty kisses. The spray and foam quenched the wooden docks and the sea tickled the ships with her crystal touch. At the heart of the land, rose the highest tower of white stone and glass, glistening like the water, yet it desired nature's touch of beauty. Its peak adorned a glass crown, where the windows encircled the top and inside this room was where the Aurora Stone was once contained. Not fulfilling its role as the Beaconing Tower, citizens lived in fear that the myths would rise against them, devastating the whole Atmos. Junko peered up at the building, with boxes of supplies in his arms, recalling the days when the blue light peeked from those windows. He sighed and shook his head. Now, the duty had befallen to the Storm Hawks to find a crystal replacement and to bring the Atmos to safety once again. The War was horrific, but this time there was no way to save them. The painful tug of dilemma pulled at Junko's heart, where he regretted their methods of destroying the very existence of crystals. Yet, it had saved the Atmos from the evitable reign of the Cyclonians, and the fearsome Merchant Queen herself.

The Captain appeared beside the Wallop, and his green eyes darted to Junko's focus. Aerrow carried scrolls of maps in hand, and a new compass in the other, and he wore the well-tailored naval jacket designed with a high collar and coat tails hanging at his thighs. His knuckles flashed white in his fist that held the compass as Aerrow sneered at the building. Junko knew it was the missing crystal that angered him, but the Wallop left his mouth shut.

"Back to the  _Condor,_ Junko," the Captain ordered sharply.

He nodded and rushed to the ship, with Aerrow walking behind. Once the entire crew was boarded, Finn started changing the gunpowder, Piper planned the next course and Junko and Radarr packed up the supplies. Stork leaned casually on the hold's doorframe, pointing at where the provisions should go. Satisfied, Aerrow sauntered towards his quarters, smiling in spite of his previous flash of anger. Stork had proved himself as dexterous and quick in crafts. As the Captain closed the gap between himself and the quarter's door, a peculiar feeling overcame him like an uncertain shiver.

It was the door. And it was opened when it was locked shut before. Slowly, Aerrow etched closer, tiptoeing on the wooden planks of the deck. He silently pushed the door to allow a bigger gap for him to slip through and quickly clicked it behind him. His eyes darted to his left and right, and he could not help the loud drumming from his chest. Aerrow kept his breath shallow and he slid against the wall towards the shadows in his room. A shuffle to his right pulled his glare towards his bed and he could see the vague shape of a person. With the curtains drawn, it was difficult to identify who or what it was. He crept closer to it with one of his dirks in hand, pointing its blade before him.

"Oh Aerrow, is that a dirk in your pocket or are you just excited to see me?" the voice drawled darkly.

It pulled the curtains open with their thin fingers, splashing the sudden light onto the body sitting on the bed with a dainty posture.

"You-!" Aerrow exclaimed, his heart now pounding violently against his ribs.

"Yes," Cyclonis replied calmly, as she pushed herself closer to him, "But that is no way to address a Captain."

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Light draped over the two bodies in the Captain's quarter, smothering any hints of darkness, and basking all with a golden touch. The blade was held between himself and the intruder, and the silver captured and twisted the blinding sunlight. He stood askance with the point directed at her, his fingers clenching at the hilt, steadying the dirk in his hand. Cyclonis merely leaned forward until her breath fogged the tip and smiled, her tricorne covering her lowered face. Aerrow did not draw back, but was mentally debating if he should hurt her or not. There was an odd heat burning in his body, and his heart could not cease its rapid drumming in his chest. His mind was still caught in the moment of surprise and frozen at her sudden appearance.

"Well? Do I get a hello? Or some sort of salutation to mark your satisfaction of my presence?" Cyclonis whispered huskily to the blade. "Of course, flashing your blade can also mark a sign of welcome."

Aerrow immediately withdrew his dirk and slipped it back into its sheath at his waist. "You are an intruder. How do you expect me to greet you with the same courtesy as a visitor?"

"I am a visitor," she said louder this time as she pushed herself off the bed, "However, whether if I was expected or not is a different matter."

"I was not expecting you at all," Aerrow replied hastily.

"Really? Then why do you have the box positioned at the ready upon your desk, if you weren't expecting me? Unless of course, you wished to kidnap me, force me onto your ship as I am bound with your convenient handcuffs, and squeeze the code to the Key out of me?" Cyclonis questioned. She glided around the Captain and walked towards the black box that stood upon the desk.

The Captain frowned at her accurate hypothesis and followed her to the table. He watched her slide a finger against the edges, and embrace the golden clasps with her warm touch. She tickled the six golden dials and sighed. Pushing her fingers underneath the ebony box, she lifted it to eye level and played with the end dials with her thumbs.

"I want it back," she firmly said. She returned the box to the table and removed her hat afterwards.

"After you unlock it and show me the contents," Aerrow declared.

She gaped at him with her purple stare, almost as if she was searching for something in Aerrow's eyes. Cyclonis reluctantly nodded in acquiescence, and bent over to click the dials in place. When she moved the last one in position, her brow furrowed in confusion. She adjusted the dials again, repeating the code, but despite her efforts, it did not open.

"It's not working," Cyclonis replied as she turned around to face Aerrow, handing over the box.

He took it and read the code she entered. Smiling in satisfaction, he put it down upon the desk, and in one swift motion, appeared another box of the same black wood and golden features.

"Cyclonis, I thought your code would be a lot more specific than "APFJSR", considering the box is something you treasure," Aerrow pronounced, "And you made my job easier by coming to me, instead of vice versa."

"What? How?" she uttered in confusion as she stared at the two identical boxes. A quickly as it was gone, a smirk flashed on her lips, but Aerrow only noted her furrowed eyebrows.

Aerrow almost puffed out his chest. "I had Stork recreate your box, right down to the little amethysts. I had planned to kidnap you from your ship, and yes, squeeze the code out from you by forcing you to enter it on this replica. By doing so, I could enter the code into the real one," he explained as he did just that onto the genuine chest.

He clicked the "R" into place and waited for the lid to pop up just enough for his fingertips. It never did. Aerrow picked it up and peered closely at every letter, checking and rechecking, his eyes darting back and forth. Cyclonis only laughed as she leaned closer towards him, her mirth tickling his ear. He almost swatted her away, but decided against it as he found a strange warmth in her intimacy. Softly placing the box down, Aerrow's crimson locks ruffled as he shook his head and his eagerness deflated.

"Did you really think I could be fooled that easily?" Cyclonis hushed in his ear. "It is my most prized possession. I would know it if it weren't in my hands."

"But-!" Aerrow started, but paused as her light finger pressed against his lips.

"No Aerrow. Don't speak just yet," Cyclonis' voice tickled his ear again. "I know it was Piper who thought of this, but I have yet to see you impress me." She slowly removed her finger and swayed towards the bed, sitting down on the soft mattress.

"Impress you? How?" he leaned backwards on his desk between the two boxes.

"Tell me how you will save the Atmos if I let you have the key and the crystal," Cyclonis drawled as she drew small circles with her finger on Aerrow's blankets.

"Why would I tell you?" the Captain murmured, mostly to himself.

"Because you will!" Cyclonis rose from the bed sharply. "That is what you do, saving the Atmos from dangers. It's what people admire." She walked over to Aerrow, leaving only a breath's distance between them. "It's admirable."

Her hand lingered towards her box and softly graced the lid with her thin fingers. "And, if you do impress me, I will reward you," she said as she stroked it. Her face leaned closer towards his, but slowly turned to whisper in his ear once more. "Wouldn't you like that?" she breathed.

Aerrow could feel the heat rising from his toes and towards his face, but he refused to fight it. He was almost prompted to adjust his arms so that they wrapped around her, but in doing so would sacrifice the support he held for his body as he leaned on the desk. Yet, the idea of her toppling onto him was not so bad. He blinked. The moment of consideration flashed in his mind, as he thought of her question and his puzzling desire. Maybe he could tell her as she laid in close proximity?

"Yes," the Captain slowly acquiesced.

"Good," Cyclonis retracted an inch, and Aerrow almost protested. "Come on."

"Well, the plan is relatively simple," Aerrow started, "Once the Aurora Stone's substitute is within the Storm Hawk's possession, we will tell the Council to recognise it, and we will place the crystal at the rightful place in the Beaconing Tower. The crystal will reactivate the protection all over the Atmos to prevent the monsters from ever terrorising us again. The crystal would not be as strong as the Aurora Stone, so some monsters will be immune to the power. Being the leader of the Resistance, I will order them to subdue the monsters. I will assign a small group as Guardians of the Crystal, so no one will ever threaten the peace again. The Council will acknowledge this, certify it and the Storm Hawks and other crews will continue our duties as the Protectors of the Seas."

Cyclonis stood staring in awe. "That is impressive, Aerrow."

"Yeah, well," he shrugged modestly.

She smiled sweetly and whispered. "Now for your reward."

Cyclonis leaned forward and their bodies were near touching, and where she was a breath away before, the gap gradually closed. Aerrow slowly etched his arms off the table, his hands almost off the desk, and he could not tear his eyes away from hers.

"Captain! A Hydra has been sighted!" Piper burst into the room, her coat swishing from her abrupt entrance. A sudden gasp escaped her throat as she saw the two faces gawping at her, and how closely they stood together. She recognised Cyclonis' presence and gasped again, and was tempted to pull out her blunderbuss. Her arm had already darted into her coat, and the finger was ready on the trigger, but Piper hesitated in this position.

"Piper, this-," Aerrow began, but stopped at a crash from outside.

"No, later. We have to protect Atmosia now! Cyclonis order your crew to help. I am not listening to any protests because if you don't help, your ship would most likely be destroyed in the fight... accidentally. We have no time to contact the Resistance. Let's go!" Piper shouted as more crashes resonated from outside.

"Do you really think I would run away from a fight?" Cyclonis grinned as she untangled herself from Aerrow. "Come on,  _Captain_ , impress me."

Aerrow gathered himself, and grabbing two blunderbusses, rushed out of the cabin with his tailcoats flapping behind him. His shout of "Raise the anchor!" and "Cannons at the ready!" consumed the deafening splashes of the furious Hydra. Piper and Cyclonis nodded at each other, and both could not help but smile as they ran out towards the deck.

* * *

The  _Condor_  and the  _Destroyer_ , the Cyclonian ship, sailed parallel to one another, as they drew closer towards the Hydra. The beast lashed around in furious writhing spasms, its multiple heads waving and puncturing the smooth sapphire façade of the sea with sudden plunges. Its teeth gleamed with the ferocity of a whole navy, and its mouths were bloody and dripping from its previous kill. One head lurched into the watery depths and abruptly appeared again, piercing the waters with violent gusto. Another head roared and if one was brave enough to approach it personally, they would admire and fear the crimson, fiery hatred that stirred in its frightful eyes. The Hydra whipped its tail in the air before it crashed down into the sea once more, the splashes forming monstrous droplets that merely drizzled onto its silvery, reptilian body. Waves rose and fell and the bowsprits did likewise, drowning the decks with gallons of liquid. The ships were only feeble fishes swimming towards the monstrous tempest that the Hydra had created.

"Broadside to the Hydra!" Cyclonis yelled to her crew and her radio. Guns immediately fired with the loudest crack, and the metal projectiles punched the scaly torso. The beast only roared louder, turned, and thrashed its tail in their direction. Luckily, the manoeuvrability of the  _Destroyer_  and the momentum of the Hydra turning made its tail miss the ship completely. A wave followed immediately after, almost capsized the  _Destroyer_ , but it stuck stubborn in the sea.

"Broadside to the Hydra!" Aerrow ordered with a thundering voice, and the cannonballs flew into its torso again. It spun and thrashed, but once again, the momentum saved them from becoming a shipwreck.

The First Mate ran towards the Captain with her face pulled in frustration. "We can't kill it, Captain! Remember, biological conservation and population protection?"

"These cannonballs can't kill the Hydra. Its scales are remarkably tough and withstand so much. If you can think of another way to drive it off, tell me," Aerrow shouted back against the rush of another wave. Its ferocity tugged against the  _Condor_  but he felt Stork force it back into position.

Piper ran back towards the rigging, and Aerrow followed. "You know that it's partially blind?" the Captain enlightened her with a yell, "Look at how it thrashes randomly. So if you can think of something with that in mind, I'm sure we can subdue it."

"We'll confuse it!" Piper answered back and a splash of sea rained down on both of them. She slightly shuddered and continued. "It's relying on sound and our guns are drawing it towards us."

"I've got it," Aerrow replied sternly. "Stork to starboard! Finn and Junko, hold fire!" Lifting the radio to his mouth, he yelled into the speaker. "Cyclonis, cease fire! I have a plan. Just stay as quiet as you possibly can."

A crackle and her voice yelled over. "I'll try my best. The Hydra seems to prefer our ship more than yours."

"Well, you are the  _Destroyer_ 's captain!" he yelled back as he saw the Cyclonian ship withdraw its cannons, and niftily manoeuvre towards port.

"Are you flirting with me now? Because this is no time for that!" Cyclonis shouted back into her radio.

"I wasn't," Aerrow replied smoothly. "You just make too much noise."

Her mirth crackled over. "Well, I'll tell you something. I'm quite the screamer."

"What is that supposed to mean?" he said.

"You'll see, if we have the chance."

Shaking his head, Aerrow ran towards the cockboat, keeping his steps as quiet as he could. He ran his hand into his jacket and found the two blunderbusses still there and dry. The seas had returned to its smooth façade, save for the Hydra, which swam in circles, looking for its prey. The Captain gestured to Finn and Junko to lower the cockboat into the seas with the pulley, whilst he sat inside it.

"Captain, what are you doing?" Finn whispered with concern.

"Saving us and the Cyclonians," Aerrow replied before he disappeared below the gangway and onto the water below.

Drawing out the oars, he rowed into the horizon, where the sun had already dipped its feet into the cool sparkling sea. The small boat glided past the  _Condor_ 's poop and the bowsprit of the  _Destroyer_ , and had a close call with the Hydra's tail. Aerrow kept rowing, his arms growing sore from the strain, but he kept going, until he was many knots away from the two ships. The setting sun shrouded his figure with its warm blanket, giving him the appearance of a silhouette against an orange wall. His figure had cast a shadow onto the sea and it stretched beyond and towards the ships, as if longing for their proximity again. It rippled with the sea's own dance, as she waved quietly to and fro to Nature's song. Aerrow lifted his hands up towards the sky, both holding the blunderbusses, and the shadow followed suit. He lowered his head slightly and closed his eyes, placing his fingers carefully onto the trigger.

"This is for you," Aerrow whispered.

He fired.

The Hydra twitched and turned around, gliding swiftly towards him. With all its mouths opened and forearms raised, it dove down towards the boat with the loudest of splashes, and all the while, Aerrow kept his eyes closed.

"No," Cyclonis whispered, hopeless.

In the distance, she watched the Hydra's monstrous body swallow up his shadow. As quickly as it attacked, it swam back into the depths of the sea, leaving the sun's golden stare unblemished of Aerrow's presence.

"No." Cyclonis repeated.

She ripped off her coat for her whole crew to see, flung her tricorne towards a shocked Dark Ace and pushed the  _Destroyer_ 's cockboat into the water. It entered with a splash and she jumped from the gangway, landing into it with a squat. Cyclonis picked up the oars and stabbed them furiously into the water. Her arms strained with her rapid rowing speed, and until she reached where he once was, she dove in and felt the cool embrace of the sea around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "APFJSR" are the first letters of the names of the Storm Hawks. Aerrow, Piper, Finn, Junko, Stork and Radarr.


	5. Chapter 5

They stood in silence, surrounding the bed like a fence. Radarr had to stand on a stool to get a better view, but it was what he expected. He sniffed at the Dark Ace that stood next to him, and his nose picked up annoyance and boredom. The man had his arms crossed in front of his chest and his crimson glare gave away no emotion. He glanced over to his Captain, but she stood firmly, with her arms straight by her side and a thin line drawn with her lips. Piper was next to Cyclonis, and her cheeks were stained with shining streaks, but the First Mate made no effort to wipe them away. Finn put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, patting it as he looked at his Captain. Junko was next to the sharpshooter, and he knitted his fingers together as he lowered his head. Stork was beside the Wallop and if he was displaying any emotion, it was hidden underneath his quiet stare. The Merb held his tricorne against his chest with one hand, whilst the fingers on the other idly fiddled with the dangling black feather.

The bed was covered in turquoise sheets, crashing against the white marble floor as it sat in the middle of the room. The walls of the building circled it like a halo and the white purity of the bricks glowed softly. The stone tiles stretched towards these walls, where three men stood watching and waiting in the quiet shadows. One moustache quivered and he almost uttered a word to shatter the fragile tranquil air, but the other placed a silencing hand on his shoulder. They observed with their beady eyes, with one pair behind golden spectacles, at the seven that gathered around the fallen one.

"How did you find him?" Piper finally asked, her shaky voice echoing through the entire room.

"I just did," Cyclonis replied sternly, "I saw him, grabbed him, and dragged him on board."

"How did you see him? Why didn't the Hydra eat him?" the First Mate's voice piped up again.

"It was close," she replied once more.

Aerrow's eyelids were gently shut and his skin was pallid from the cold. They had tried to keep him warm by dressing him in his thickest attire, moving him to a room with a fireplace and wrapping him up with multiple blankets, but all was futile. He retained the sickly radiance of a dead fish.

"He has to wake up. He must," Finn uttered, clenching his hand tighter on Piper's shoulder. "This is just wrong. All of it is just so wrong."

"The Atmos is dark and deadly, and the worst spawns from things you love," Stork whispered in a crackled voice.

Three pairs of footsteps from the edges of the room walked towards the seven, and stood outside their circle. In unison, they crossed their arms, and one cleared his throat for the group's attention.

"We have evidence to prove that the Storm Hawks have been withholding information upon the restoration of the crystal," a Councillor said gruffly, confirming Stork's words. "The Councillors have no choice but to take the Captain of said Storm Hawks and the Leader of the Resistance into custody when he awakes, followed possibly by incarceration for offenses against the Atmosian Council. They include-"

"Shut up," Piper said at once, highlighting the curt tone with crossed arms, "Can't you see we are still mourning? Why should I pay you respect when you give us none?"

"Piper-," Cyclonis started as she advanced towards the First Mate, but Piper swatted her away.

"No. There is a plot here. We are innocent. He is innocent," she firmly stated as she edged closer to the Councillor. "We kindly asked for a place of comfort for the Captain, but instead you accept our offer, and lure us in here to arrest him!"

"It is our duty-"

"Your duty to rob the innocent of their voice? You take the Captain here, in a most fragile, but living state, and threaten us with his imprisonment. That is just wrong. Where is the justice?" Piper urged, her voice teetering from the anger that threatened to burst.

"We have evidence, and you have none in your own defence," the Councillor retorted back. He stood his ground with the two that seemed to cower behind him. The circle around Aerrow had broken to surround them instead, where the seven now faced the sleeping Captain with their backs.

"Evidence? Where? Show me. I have a right to see it," Piper declared.

"Fine," he replied gruffly. "Carver, approach."

It seemed he appeared from thin air, as if he was precisely waiting for this very moment. He carried folders full of papers, where some edges hung out, trying to escape the clutches of the binding stationery. Carver walked with slow, lingering steps like a solid march and it seemed his entire presence was smirking at the Storm Hawks. He smiled throughout his walk until he reached the Councillors, where he greeted them with a curt nod. Carver handed the cowering ones half each of the pile and he stood akimbo next to the other, more assertive Councillor.

"You. You traitor!" Piper hissed at him. "What have you fabricated this time?"

"I have fabricated nothing," Carver drawled, almost cruelly. "These are all the records of the Storm Hawks movements, actions and information after the War. They are trustworthy and legitimate, as they are from honest witnesses of the Resistance."

The First Mate was prompted to exclaim the Resistance was now corrupted, but to admit such would show the Councillors and Carver that the Storm Hawks had not done their duty. Piper squinted to peer at the traitor closer, and a smirk itched on her lips. However, she restrained from betraying anything. She was on his game, and who else was a better opponent than herself?

"Let me see this evidence," Piper stated.

"I'm curious as well," Stork said carefully.

"So am I," Finn echoed.

"Me three," Junko said.

Radarr just crossed his arms and nodded.

"Hand them over," Carver ordered the two Councillors. They reluctantly came forward to press the files into the Storm Hawks' hands, and immediately retreated back behind Carver and the other Councillor.

The Storm Hawks rummaged through the papers, grunting and shaking their heads at every word. Finn muttered "nope" several times over as he glided his eyes through the papers. Stork had returned his tricorne at an angle on his head, and was chuckling darkly to himself as he read. Piper was most angered, but she refused to release any of the fiery hatred that burned within her. Most of the words were lies, or events that actually happened, but twisted into such grotesque and blatant fabrications. The time they were in the bar was an event twisted with words about 'scheming' and 'secrets from the Resistance' in the documents. There was more slander about 'betrayal of Atmos to Cyclonians' and 'conspiring'. Events about theft and the wrongful imprisonment of a fellow Resistance member spread over a whole file.

It struck her.

How else could anyone disclose this information without espionage?

But there was nothing she could do. They had no evidence against this, and the Councillors would not dare listen to a word they said.

 _"_ _This was why we created the Resistance in the first place. They did not believe us about the true nature of crystals, so why should they believe us now when we needed them the most?"_  Piper thought with utter frustration.  _"And the Resistance has their back on us, thanks to the traitor Carver._ "

The rest of the crew murmured as they flipped through the documents, while Cyclonis and the Dark Ace stood watching, sharing short mutterings to each other infrequently. Carver stood with a glare at the seven, and the three Councillors talked privately behind him. The Storm Hawks' innocence could not be proven. Unless... Putting the documents closer to her face, she slyly peered over them to observe Cyclonis. She saw her petite figure lean closer towards the Dark Ace again to whisper something, and he smiled in reply, nodding at the same time. Piper quickly returned her eyes to the documents before they could catch her looking, and she shuffled the papers in her hands. The only way to figure all this out, and prove the Storm Hawks' innocence was through the opening of the Key.

The ebony box sat next to the bed on a small table. The fake one stood nearby, with its lid open and the dials spelt out "Condor". As the one that held the closest affinity to the ship, it was Stork that amused himself with this particular password, of which Piper could not help but hint a small upward curl of her lips at the thought. Not realising she had moved, the First Mate turned around to find Cyclonis speaking with Carver, and he smiled and nodded. Noticing the Cyclonian First Mate standing alone, and staring into space, Piper approached him.

"Dark Ace," she greeted.

"Piper, I'm not one for conversation," he replied stiffly.

"Then you can practise on me," Piper retorted. "I have a question. Have you seen that box before?"

He shook his head. "Honestly, I never knew my Captain had that on board. And I know the  _Destroyer_  and its contents like the back of my hand," he said, "But it's not unusual of her to keep secrets. That's who she is."

She could not help but smile. "Huh, no kidding."

"You know he is a bit old for you, but then again, that didn't stop me," Cyclonis whispered alluringly behind her.

Piper turned around smoothly. "No wonder the Dark Ace is not one for conversation. You are always embarrassing him."

"I never get embarrassed," she heard his voice growl.

"Enough of this idle talk!" Carver yelled, silencing the room. It was so loud, it would have awakened Aerrow from his deep slumber, but the Storm Hawk Captain barely budged.

"This is why we never get anything done. Arrest Piper," Carver ordered the Councillors and the trio ran towards her, quickly grabbing her wrists and clicking them into handcuffs.

"What are you doing, Carver?" Piper demanded as she wriggled in the ruthless metal bonds.

"Did you not know? The Atmosian Council is mine now. I have proven all this time to them I was worthy as their leader. I've done great deeds in your absence, including arresting all of you for corruption. Additionally," Carver sneered as his figure towered over the struggling Storm Hawk, "The Resistance is officially in my control, thanks to the Council."

Piper looked around and saw the rest of the Storm Hawk crew was bounded too, and they sat huddled next to Aerrow's bed. She felt a push behind her and they nudged her against the Dark Ace, who settled her next to Finn.

"You have done a great job, Carver. Impressive," a voice said.

The Storm Hawk crew all turned around swiftly, with the exception of the sleeping Aerrow, and this time, Piper could not feign an emotionless façade.

"Cyclonis!" Piper hissed.

"That's no way to address  _the Master_ ," Cyclonis smiled back, and a flick of malevolence danced on her lips. She walked towards Carver and stood next to him. He towered over the Cyclonian, but it was clear who held the power.

"Master, I've done as you've said," Carver said bowing.

"Good. We are done here," she sternly replied.

Her hand moved faster than Carver could blink, and before he could say another word, a hilt protruded from his chest. He fell forward with a thunk, digging the blade deeper into his heart, and he died without another sound. The two cowering Councillors had tiptoed towards the door, attempting to flee, but the Dark Ace caught them with his scimitar, and the crimson splayed across the white purity of the marble floor.

"You've killed him!" Junko yelled out.

"I'm sure you've seen death before, Wallop. It's nothing new to you Storm Hawks," Cyclonis snarled back. "Do you remember the ones you slayed in the Crystal War? The ones that knew crystal power was the future and all of you ended their hope?"

She adjusted her tricorne so her eyes peeked through brighter than before. "I'm just repeating what you did. Unlike you, I'm just slaying those who have hope in the Storm Hawks. And now, here I rise, Master and Queen of the Atmos. There is some thanks given to this Councillor here (she nodded to the man standing beside her), but most of all, I thank you Storm Hawks. I thank you for returning what I always owned."

"You can't!" Piper said calmly despite furiously shaking in her handcuffs. "You can't do this!"

"But I already have," Cyclonis smirked.

She looked at the Storm Hawks that sat bound and against the bed of Aerrow. They were furious, she knew, and it was obvious from the anger in Finn's sapphire eyes, the furrowed brow of Piper, the snarl from Radarr, the sad, grey stare Junko held and the quiet fury that Stork kept inside his dark heart. Cyclonis looked at the body that laid peacefully on the bed, and her heart was aflutter. No, it was all just a disguise, a masquerade to squeeze information from the Storm Hawks. Aerrow had fallen for it too easily.

"Dark Ace, prepare the escort. I'm about to show the Atmos the queen," Cyclonis said, waving her hand dismissively in his direction. He spoke into the radio, and Talons poured into the building, holding their glistening weapons in their gloved hands. "The Storm Hawks can bear witness as prisoners, and as the truth why the whole of Atmos is in disarray. Let the crowds spit at them, throw rocks and tomatoes, while I stand as the saviour for the world. Make them watch when the all the Atmosians bow down to  _me_."

At the door where the Talons entered, a plonking echoed through the Cyclonian soldiers, and as one looked down, his eyes widened in horror. His warning was caught in his throat as the two grenadoes exploded with a loud bang, and the shrapnel and Talons flew into the walls and onto the ground, splattering and cracking the marble and walls. Smoke filled up the entrance, flooding the view of the door and a figure gradually took shape, appearing as the grey haze evaporated.

"Not today, Cyclonis."

* * *

The Storm Hawks, who had turned around from the explosion, gasped once more as Starling walked into the room, her rare nunchakus in hand. She swatted away the Talons that reached out towards her for help and mercy, begging in their pain.

"No one else should have known about this meeting! How did you?" Cyclonis yelled, grabbing her blunderbusses from her long velvet jacket. She pointed the barrels at Starling, while the Dark Ace directed the blade of his scimitar towards the intruder.

"That would have been me," the Councillor coughed behind her, and he held a sabre millimetres away from Cyclonis' back.

The Dark Ace turned to attack, but a metal object slapped into his cheek and a box slammed into his chest. He stumbled from the sudden attack, and stuck out his sword in futile chance of blocking the next hit. He felt a punch to his face, and blindly swept his sword towards that direction, but a kick to his stomach forced him down and he fell onto the ground. Someone stepped onto his wrist, and he uselessly unhanded his weapon. They picked up the scimitar and threatened the cold mocking metal against his throat.

"That was amazing, Piper," Starling said wide eyed at the Storm Hawk who subdued the Dark Ace. The fake box and a pair of handcuffs lay near his head. "But how did you get loose?"

The First Mate just shrugged modestly. "Captain Aerrow taught me a thing or two about handcuffs."

"I thought you two were just friends," Cyclonis' voice echoed in the room. She nearly recoiled at the jealous tone, but restrained herself.

Piper turned smugly, noticing it. "We are nothing more than friends."

Starling walked towards the piles of documents that contained the slanderous material against the Storm Hawks. Throwing a lit match, the satisfying "whoomph" of the flames engulfed the papers, the ravenous fire consuming every edge and returning the lying words into ashes. Piper freed her crew with ease, and Cyclonis watched them rub their wrists in relief. The Councillor still threatened her with that blade, and her blunderbuss was now in the hands of Piper. The Dark Ace had recovered and was immediately handcuffed afterwards, his scowl evident of his damaged pride. Despite this visible defeat, Cyclonis had to grin.

"Uh, why is she smiling?" Junko nudged Finn, who was too busy soothing his wrists.

"Dude, this ain't over yet," Finn growled in a low voice in reply, "My wrists are in pain, I'm angry 'cause our Captain is like a dead fish. Someone is gonna pay."

"Finn, did you hear me?"

"Does it matter? Cyclonis is crazy. Of course she'd be smiling."

"Oh, it matters alright," her voice poked into their conversation. "I've won either way."

"How?" Piper interjected, "Your crew is injured, some possibly dead, Dark Ace is handcuffed, your rat Carver is dead, and the Councillor has you pinned, and you will be imprisoned for all your crimes. So tell me, Cyclonis, how have you won?"

Cyclonis cackled, her dark mirth echoing in the room. "The Storm Hawks are defeated, the Resistance broken, the crystal will never be in your hands, and those sea monsters will rise once again. The Atmos is going to burn, and I'm taking all of you with it."

"That is dark, even for my standards," Stork replied with a twisted smirk. "But why?"

"It's fun."

With that, she lifted her arms and curled her fingers. Behind her, a rumble coursed through the white walls, cracking and crumbling the stone as if it were fragile bone. The Councillor had to run for cover next to the Storm Hawks, his sabre still clutched anxiously in hand. Cyclonis' cackle grew louder and louder, each escalating tone synchronising with the growing rumbles. The Storm Hawks, save for Aerrow, and the Councillor watched with widened eyes as a silver head barged through, its jaw unhinging to flash the blades it had for teeth. The whole beast unveiled itself from the shattered wall and its writhing necks pushed away the white debris.

"Th-that's the Hydra," Finn squeaked, his finger pointing behind Cyclonis. "What is it doing here?"

"It's hungry Finn," Cyclonis said as she etched forward. The beast followed behind on its reptilian legs, its muscles rippling as it lumbered towards the cowering crew. "A Storm Hawk would be a particularly tasty treat."

* * *

The glistening beast snapped its mouths at the cowering humans, the warm luscious scent of their fearful beating hearts tantalising the Hydra's appetite. Its master stood afore, her cackling mirth a vicious melody as she swayed closer to the Storm Hawks. The Hydra felt her dark swirling hatred, a once forlorn broken force now amended from the simple drive of power, stirring within its own heart. The beast sensed and followed her hypnotic urge to kill. She spoke in a language unknown to the Hydra, but it knew her meaning; a mocking phrase aimed at the skinny blond retreating now behind his muscular friend.

"Cyclonis! Stop!" Piper ordered fearlessly, but her shaking body betrayed her courage.

"Never!" Cyclonis shouted in return, watching the Hydra reach for Finn. Junko gave the beast's head several punches and pushed the sharpshooter aside protectively as more heads shot in the Wallop's direction. Piper fired at the scaly body, but the bullets merely bounced off its glistening hide. Starling found her nunchakus near impractical, and found cover behind a fallen section of a wall. Stork muttered words of doom as he dodged the darting heads with a surprising ease, mentally noting to carry a weapon next time. The Dark Ace recovered from his brief unconsciousness, and sat mildly with a warm content as the Hydra slithered passed and snapped at the heels of Radarr. The Councillor just hid behind the bed, brandishing and waving his sword with an awkward blindness.

"For the love of Atmos, you can hurt Aerrow!" Piper shouted again with a passion, shooting the Hydra's hide with a shaky aim.

The beast and Master paused for the briefest of seconds before continuing the bloodthirsty rampage within the room. The hesitation was ignored by all except Piper, who ran towards her sleeping Captain and pressed the barrel into Aerrow's chest.

"Cyclonis! Stop or I'll fire!"

She spun around and the Hydra fell silent. "You wouldn't dare."

"I can dare whatever I like, Cyclonis. I don't understand what is happening here, but I can understand this," Piper indicated to her Captain.

"You don't understand," Cyclonis smirked, "There is nothing between Aerrow and I."

"Only I can say that with a straight face and a calm heart," the First Mate grinned, slowly pressuring the trigger with a finger.

"Stop it," Cyclonis whispered.

"I didn't hear that," Piper mocked as her finger pressed harder.

"Stop it!" she shouted.

"No."

"You can't!"

"I can."

The First Mate pulled the trigger and the crack shuddered throughout the room. Her crew froze in shock and Cyclonis fell to her knees, clutching her heart if she were shot herself. The Hydra felt its own heart seize, and with a final roar, the scaly beast collapsed into a dead heap.

"How?" Cyclonis yelled at Piper. "He was your Captain, you murdering, mutinous-!"

"So?" Piper replied carelessly, spinning the blunderbuss in her hand. "You're heartbroken, defeated and hopeless. Captain Aerrow would have welcomed the sacrifice."

"You! You-!" Cyclonis screeched, but the overwhelming silent anger caught the expletives in her throat.

"You've lost. Don't play with someone's emotions when you can get played yourself. Love is a dangerous game," Piper said plainly.


	6. Chapter 6

The crack ricocheted around the room, hollowing Cyclonis’ heart as she collapsed in pain, and the Hydra followed suit with a loud crash against the marble floor. She gasped and tried to scream as many expletives as possible in Piper’s direction, but the scorching and silencing rage choked the words in her sore throat. He was dead. Cyclonis tried to deceive her own thoughts that this was all fake, that her emotional outburst was just the last piece to her masquerade. Yet the mask fractured like glass, and shattered around her as a broken firework, clear fragments like the tears she wept. A single movement threatened her exposed flesh against the bitter sharpness, and so she chose to remain still. She dared not to hurt herself any more. Cyclonis’ ashamed face was pressed against her palms as she knelt; her back curled as she pushed those hot tears away.

If the magnificence of the beast was waning as its final breaths expelled from its unhinged maws, the broken wall and multiple orifices in the building preserved a degree of beauty, where the Hydra was spotlighted with warm sunbeams, and the scales shimmered once more in its lively silver. It too was curled in a foetal position, and the long reptilian necks were twisted in unnatural angles where the bones shattered inside. Some protruded from the viscous vermillion like white sharp stalagmites, teething from the bloody gum. The Dark Ace sat behind the carcass, albeit haphazardly tangled in his handcuffs, his nose scrunching in disgust from the aquatic stench that emanated profusely from the Hydra. His crimson glare scanned the beast, and the evanescent thoughts about its potential of wreaking havoc throughout the Atmos drifted as his attention shifted to the Resistance.

The Storm Hawks crew and Starling approached Piper, save for Finn, with an anger that clearly burned in their eyes like an untamed inferno. The heavy stomp of the Wallop reverberated with the growling hate of Radarr, as they drew closer to the mutinous member. Stork crept forward and removed his tricorne, staring at Piper with a yellow murderous gleam. Like a bull restraining its accumulating anger to charge forth and strike recklessly, the group’s amalgamated fury burned and boiled in their hearts, waiting to pour its noxious punishment and cleanse Piper’s soul. Their barely repressed wrath penetrated their minds with irrational thoughts, piercing like multiple daggers as they pictured the multiple ways for retribution. A moral boundary kept them reined, as the death of a crewmember to selfishly sate their vengeance meant they were only synonymous to Piper’s sin. There was nothing more aberrant than to usurp the position of a virtuous leader than with his vicious cold-blooded murder. Something less final and vindictive than Piper’s death for her ultimate punishment was the more responsible response to her immoral actions.

“Well, First Mate, how would you like to be reprimanded? Slowly drawn out or torturous?” the helmsman threatened huskily, voicing the communal thoughts that festered in their heads. A low hum of agreement mumbled from the Resistance’s tightly drawn mouths.

“Neither. You’d rather use your efforts on arresting that. I have done nothing wrong,” Piper dismissively waved her hand towards Cyclonis, who had her back facing them. A soft whimper escaped in her direction and the slight shudder shook her thin frame.

“N-nothing wrong? Piper, you’ve killed the Captain!” Junko almost hissed in his trying voice, keeping his wrath at bay. His hands were scrunched into solid fists as he reined the desire to strike her. Her disinterest towards Aerrow only stirred the Wallop’s innate protection of the Captain’s name and honour. Threatening the livelihood of the redheaded leader ignited Junko’s reflex of physically dealing with the persecutor.

“Dark and dangerous is my game, but immorality? I’m having none of it,” Stork spat. The Merb whisked his tricorne back upon his dark locks and glared under the shadowy mask it painted on his green complexion. His brow was furrowed and the angled yellow glare was enough to slaughter Atmosia’s population.

“Agreed,” Starling remarked in acquiescence, helping the Councillor up, who promptly collapsed in her arms. “Murder in cold blood is a life sentence.” She gently dragged his unconscious body and propped it against the bed, and he flopped like a stringless marionette. Only the soft hush of the rhythmic inhale and exhale proved that he was still alive.

An unusual sound shuffled behind the group and a small cough forced the crew to focus on the bed, briefly neglecting their worry for the Councillor.

“Oh.” Junko whispered in realisation.

He adjusted himself into a seated position against the bed head, propping his pillow as a back rest. Yawning innocently, and blinking the last tendrils of unconsciousness away, Aerrow watched curiously with a green gaze. His awkward hand ran through his crimson wisps of stray hair as he patted them into place, yet they sprung back in a wild fashion.

“I don’t think any sentence is necessary, Starling. I feel quite alive.”

========

“She never really fired,” Finn said matter- of- factly. “I know because I’m the sharpshooter.” He combed his hair with his fingers and smiled. “Well, she did fire, but the blunderbuss had no ammunition. Firing with a lead shot creates a different noise than that of a blank one. Yeah, the smoke and residue from the gun gives off the idea that something did project from the barrel and-”

“Thanks Finn, we don’t need a whole lesson,” Piper smiled.

“But-“ Finn began.

“No, not just yet. I’ve got a chest to unlock.” Aerrow interrupted as he indicated to the black box on the bedside table. Finn sighed and handed it over.

“We can easily get the key out of Cyclonis,” Starling said in a muffled voice as she bent down to ensure the handcuffs were tightly secured.

The fallen Captain sat next to her First Mate, where the dry tears were now streaks on her puffy face. Cyclonis’ majestic grandeur had faded to a shivering thin frame and her legs were bunched up close to her chest. The emotional over- investment of the collateral venture to merely destroy the Resistance and return the power to her only insured her shattered dignity as her mind failed to prudently comprehend that Aerrow was still alive. Three times his life was in danger; all of them at the fault of Cyclonis herself. She was never this reckless with her schemes- it was only when something poignant came to play that her plans decayed.

“No need.” Aerrow said as he pushed the first dial. Stopping at A, he moved his fingers to the second one. With a satisfied look on his face after he finished pushing the last dial in place, the chest lid popped up. He dug a finger underneath and opened it further, aiming the box at the dead Hydra. A metal shimmer whistled through the air and dug itself into the beast’s cheek.

“When did you figure it out?” Piper pipped in curiosity.

“The moment when the Hydra attacked the Atmos. Cyclonis was too forward in her actions in my quarters,” Aerrow replied with a chuckle. “I figured it was my name.”

Spinning the box back around, where the dials, spelling out “Aerrow” faced him again, the Captain picked out a rectangular object. He could not help but pull his head back and laugh with a great mirth.

“Cyclonis, I knew you liked me, but this is going too far,” Aerrow grinned cheekily as he showed them the first page of a sea- worn logbook. It was a portrait of the redheaded Captain.

“Captain, why-?” the Dark Ace began

“Jealous?” Cyclonis shot back with a poisonous hiss.

“Never,” he replied with a cocked eyebrow.

An amused smile appeared on Piper’s lips. “Well, what about the crystal?”

“I don’t know,” Aerrow replied as he flipped through the logbook. His picture slipped out as the adhesive forwent its purpose, and another page fluttered out as the binding cracked.

“Huh, that’s too easy,” Stork spoke as he picked it up. “A blueprint. Conveniently of a prosthetic heart made from the Aurora Stone itself.”

The Storm Hawks and Starling turned to Cyclonis. She glared back and barked a sharp “What?”. Her vigour only drove Piper into further amusement, where the defensive potency of the Captain betrayed her frail countenance.

“This is your prosthetic heart, isn’t it, Cyclonis?” Piper asked with a smile.

“It is. I was shot in the heart in the War and the Dark Ace gathered the best scientists to create and implant a prosthetic one into my chest so I could live. My First Mate enjoyed killing them all afterwards as the surgery had to be kept secret.”

“And the Aurora Stone because?”

“Even with a mind like that, you fail to discern my reasons? Pathetic.” Cyclonis spat.

Piper sniffed in offence. “I believe it’s because it’s the most powerful crystal found in all of existence, and the only one possible to sustain a human life. Due to its nature as the Atmosian protection against the aquatic beasts, where it was adapted to become this defensive mechanism, it granted a repressive grasp on them. Hence it offered the benefits of controlling sea monsters with the will of your heart.

“Exactly,” Cyclonis continued, rolling her eyes, “It was particularly useful as a method of persuasion. And an instrument of rescue (here, she pointedly twisted her neck to look at Aerrow). Too bad they can’t handle the strength of human emotions. The Hydra was extremely loyal.”

“Nevertheless,” Aerrow said as he adjusted himself in the bed, “We need surgeons now to extract the crystal from your chest. Stork; make an appointment at the best medical service and ask for top doctors, whilst ask for some services for the fallen councillors. Finn and Junko; tell the news to the public. Likewise Starling, but tell it to the Resistance. Piper, remove these criminals.”

Aerrow pushed his thin legs from beneath the blankets and placed his bare feet on the cool marble floor. Using the table beside him, he pushed himself upwards. He teetered and Piper nearly rushed over to steady his balance, but he waved her away in confidence as his stance stabilised. Patting down his wrinkled attire, Aerrow looked towards the hole in the wall, capturing the open landscape of the Atmosian town in a white rubble frame. His emerald gaze reached further into the horizon and his parted his lips in announcement.

“Atmos needs its heart back."

=====

The open chests, both exposing their delicate hearts, both box and fallen queen, laid still in the medical centre. The pale green walls tinged her pallid face, painting the patient with a sicker glow. The rhythmic bump thump of pulsing life peaked and fell like the tides of Atmos, that nautical dream fading as days wore on. Surgeons worked with meticulous fashion, extracting the emanating blue Aurora stone, the medical precision using the temporal limits with efficiency. Blurs of green and light blue shades ran in and out of the room like clockwork, with movements planned and clicking together as gears spun in operation. A pair of hooded red eyes alongside watched from the glass pane, observing his Captain in her unconscious state, perhaps hoping for her survival, or the opportunity to usurp the position and rule the seas himself. His loyalty has been tested on multiple occasions, and all have served to strengthen his devotion rather than not. The Dark Ace had stood and sat, withdrawing himself from his usual schedule to unwaveringly monitor Cyclonis’ status. The petulant children that named themselves the Storm Hawks, particularly their Captain and the First Mate, had visited on some instances to satisfy some odd curiosity, but immediately vanished after a few moments. There was no need for him to be concerned by their presence since they had got what they wanted; peace throughout the Atmos, without the threat of the Cyclonian business empire.

Messengers of the Resistance met with the surgeons frequently, and the Dark Ace detected their impatience for the crystal. It was true that more sea monsters were awoken with unspoken fury, now without the reigning control of Cyclonis. Deaths were prominently plastered against the bulletin, but the fastidious physicians delayed and delayed, in spite of their constant rush to extract the crystal from her chest. It was only when the mortality count reached the mid hundreds that the Aurora was extracted from Cyclonis and its surrounding mechanism and the Atmosian tower began to beacon its familiar azure haze. Typical lawsuits and arduous mediation littered the Atmosian hall about some ludicrous case that the surgeons were in fact Cyclonis’ people, and were purposely inflicting the deaths through deliberate procrastination. The citizens were perpetually throwing away money that could easily treat those who were fatally injured in attacks rather than crying over the deceased. The Dark Ace saw with prudent reasoning, and regarded little of the impractical and pathetic. 

It was a week later that the doctors proclaimed her stable condition, where he was permitted to visit her bedside and share moments of mutual presence. She would utter several words that questioned the state of her crew, and the Dark Ace had to reply with complete honesty. Cyclonis could read him like a book despite his empty façade, as he briefed her on the multiple disloyalties that occurred as multiple Talons disbanded and fled. Some guilt-ridden members suicided at the thought of their own betrayal despite their initial decision to run, but numbers still stood at the low hundreds. Cyclonis would mouth quietly to herself that this was still good, still okay, and still reasonable enough to venture further even with her state.

As a masked male nurse watered the flowers that the Dark Ace frequently brought in to liven up the viridescent gloom of the hospital bed room, he pulled up the same chair and sat beside his Captain. She was unusually wholly conscious this time, propped up against her thick pillows, and a thick volume between her frail pale hands. Her index and thumb pinched at the corner of the thin paper, ready to turn. Decidedly, she shut the novel with a snap and placed undivided attention to her First Mate.

“I will die soon, Dark Ace.” She said with confidence, stroking the cover of her book as she glared into his gaze.

“Captain, don’t say such things.”

“Why? It’s the truth. This temporary heart can only sustain by existence for only a limited time. My untimely demise is drawing closer.” She shifted her eyes towards the cords and wire that were attached to her, a network of colours crisscrossing and connecting towards a larger machine. The rhythmic peaks of a synthetic heartbeat beeped in a steady tempo, the green line marking every pulse.

“What do you wish me to do?”

“Nothing. Unless you can stop the inevitable, which is nigh impossible.” She smiled knowingly. “However…”

Cyclonis shuffled forward and the Dark Ace leant inwards to reduce her struggling efforts for confidentiality. “Project Xoam? What’s the progress?”

“Barely anything. However, we lost Snipe in the progress and Ravess has taken up the mantle instead.” He spoke in a low hush, yet blank in tone.

“Another collapse again. Apart from him, how many did we lose?”

“Only 8.”

“Plenty of resources left. Good,” Cyclonis sighed as she reclined back into her bed. “Leave.”

The Dark Ace nodded and took his leave, his footsteps echoing in the empty halls of the hospital. The clock had struck the twelfth hour only minutes before and the stars began to fade in their celestial lustre as the sun began its morning ascent. The nurse was still checking the room, ensuring the wires were in place, the scarce presents that littered the small table were placed in an orderly stack and that the curtains were tightly drawn so no premature ray of light procured through any gaps. He maneuvered his way towards the patient, returning the vacant chair back into its position and taking the book from her grasp.

“How are you feeling, mam?” the voice murmured beneath the mask. She noticed he was suspiciously dressed in scrubs, and a betraying red lock slid from beneath the cap.

“Aerrow, I never knew you were so obsessive- compulsive. I admire your orderliness,” Cyclonis gestured around the room with a smirk printed on her face, “If you wish me to be grateful for your thoughtfulness, consider my ineptitude at striking your face as a thank you.”

The young Captain removed the restricting headgear and allowed his hair to spring freely. He ripped off the useless mask and pocketed it in his scrubs, glaring at the sardonic criminal restricted to her bed. Violently pulling the chair from its peaceful position and screeching it against the laminate flooring, Aerrow sat in a huff, his brow furrowed with discontent.

“Quite the theatrics,” Cyclonis commented as she nestled herself further into the pillows. “But I needn’t your entertainment at such an unbecoming hour. Goodnight.”

“ _Iwantedtoapologise._ ” Aerrow rushed.

“Articulate your words properly. I’m sure your tongue is capable,” she remarked, slowing twisting her body towards him.

“I want…” He cleared his throat and began once more. “I want to apologise.”

Cyclonis’ eyebrows rose so high, they buried themselves into her dark fringe. Her purple gaze sparkled in surprise and amusement as she began to heed his words.

“I apologise for playing with your emotions… It’s not right to manipulate anyone like that at all. I thought I had the morals to stop myself from exploiting others to see what I wanted. Yes, I did it for the greater good, but the happy end didn’t meet my horrible means. I’m no hero in hurting you, even if you had criminal intentions in the beginning.” The Captain looked down in his lap in modesty and shyness, letting the words hang quietly in the hushed ambience.

She huffed. “Once a criminal, always a criminal. I’m tainted as is, a cold hard criminal. Add heartless to the list as well.”

The chair shrieked against the laminate as Aerrow pushed in back into position. He padded towards the door and at the last moment turned back to face the bedded Captain. “I didn’t know it was real, what you felt.”

Cyclonis shifted slowly, turning away from the door and burying her face into the pillow. She exhaled into the softness and a growing dryness scratched against her throat. It was futile to further invest, and even though her central organ was gone, she could feel him pulling away the heartstrings one by one, until her body was a tangled mess of unthinkable pain.


	7. Epilogue

The bowsprit pointed towards the horizon, the sky plastered with warm hues of orange and pink as the sun bobbed low in the cold abyss of the sea. A spray of familiar salt and moisture splashed welcomingly on Aerrow’s face, where his new tricorne nestled in his crimson locks prevented additional drops from damaging his hair. He pulled out the spyglass from his coat pockets, and extended the golden contraption, pressing his good eye against it. The low hump of land emerged into view, with the fluttering dots of migrating birds haloing their target. Returning it to his coat, he squinted once more into the skyline, watching the waves bordering the bottom edge of the colourful canvas. Wisps of wind whispered in his ears and threaded through the untamed fringe that peeked from beneath the hat, wriggling in attempts to free itself from the restricting brim. A stray dolphin emerged in the distance, and Aerrow leaned further forward on the gangway to capture the sleek shimmer of its silver body, weaving in and out from the dark fabrics of the water. Familiar steps clopped closer to him and he swiftly turned in response.

“Captain,” Finn addressed with a firm nod. Aerrow nodded back.

“Dude, what’s wrong? You’ve been quiet all week, except for the usual orders.” The sharpshooter crossed his arms. “If you wanna talk, I’m here man. Always will be.”

“Finn, it’s nothing you can fix. This is my own problem.” Aerrow murmured, mostly to himself.

“Hey, maybe if you, I don’t know, talked about it out loud, it could release some of the stress. I can lend an ear or something,” Finn shrugged with a smile, untangling his arms and holding them outward.

“Yeah, I’ll think about it.”

“Cool, I’ll give you some time. But hey, is it true? The bounty?” The blond gestured towards the blank horizon.

“Legend says it all, Piper has done the research and Stork isn’t particularly apprehensive about it, so I believe so,” Aerrow confirmed. He pulled his tricorne lower to shadow his gaze, and allowed his emerald glare to peek underneath.

“Sweet!” Finn rubbed his hands together. “I better clear out my cabin so I can load it up.” He turned to go to the respective location until he felt a hand on his shoulder. Spinning back, the sharpshooter regarded Aerrow once more with a curious quirk of the eyebrow.

“Thanks,” he said with a smile. “I don’t know how you do it, but you always cheer me up, one way or another.”

“Any time, man.” Finn returned the smile with his signatory pistol fingers.

“Race you to your cabin?”

“You’re on!”

The rush of footsteps hounded against the wooden decks as the duo ran. As they powered through the gangway and past the mizzenmast with rapid beats against the igneous polished surface, Stork sailed forth into the depths of the sky. His whistled a low tune as the brim of his tricorne was tipped low over his brow and his green fingers danced in rhythm against the wheel. The Condor crept closer with a steady pace as the night consumed the vivid sky. Like a ravenous monster with an unhinged maw, the slick tongue of darkness slowly devoured the sunlight, its glittering slobber painting the constellations that etched against the sky. As everyone slept, the blue sails continued to flap as the bowsprit was directed towards Xoam. 


End file.
